Trying to find NASCAR fantasy picks for the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway?
And just like that, last week’s Brilliant NASCAR fantasy pick Tyler Reddick cements his reputation on road courses with a win at COTA. To be fair, a lot of people pegged him for the win by the time Sunday morning rolled around, but I pegged him last Tuesday night when I started to write my article.
But enough about me—this is all about giving props to the latest driver of the 45 for 23XI Racing. Don’t let Reddick out of your sites this season. He may have had a rough start, but those days are heading into the rearview mirror, kids. He earned that win through hard work and pure will.
Brief notes on COTA: What an exciting, and frustrating race. It was so much fun to see the drivers jockey for position, with lineup changes every lap that made me want to cuss. But, in the end, the right people finished in the right places. Except Ryan Blaney, who typically does well on this type of track. But that’s another story.
Short-track racing at Richmond is always a favorite of mine. It’s so much fun to see the grind of the drivers as they push and shove their way to the front, making enemies and forming weird alliances along the way. I think we’ll see the usual suspects running in the top, as long as they qualify well. And after Richmond: Bristol in the dirt, baby. Hold onto your Easter eggs for that one.
So come on along as we head to Virginia, and explore my list of Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks for the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway.
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Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
Kyle Busch
This is really one of Kyle Busch’s best tracks. You have to go back to 2015 to find a finish outside of the top 10, and that’s saying a lot. He is on a hot streak right now and I think he’s gonna ride that for a while while the boys are in the southeast vicinity of the USA. Keep an eye on the number 8 in Richmond.
Richmond wins: 6
Richmond top 5s: 18
Richmond top 10s: 27
Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell is my NASCAR fantasy pick of the week. He’s been to this track 5 times in the Cup Series and finished in single digits all but once. Even though he was up and down last week, he’s still warmer than the rest of the field, and I expect him to punch his ticket to the playoffs on Sunday.
Richmond wins: 0
Richmond top 5s: 3
Richmond top 10s: 4
Martin Truex Jr.
So, even when Martin Truex Jr. is having the worst season of his life, he finds a way to put up a good finish in Richmond. Single digits since 2018 and playoffs points in just about every stage—that gives me enough faith to give him another chance in NASCAR fantasy this weekend.
Richmond wins: 3
Richmond top 5s: 9
Richmond top 10s: 16
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin shall reside in my bonkers list because I have not seen enough yet this season to say he’s a shoo-in for any race. Yes, even if it is his home track. But, man, those numbers are sure hard to overcome. He has only run outside of the top ten twice since 2015, so at the very least, you oughta get a good finish if you put the number 11 on your NASCAR fantasy list this weekend.
Richmond wins: 4
Richmond top 5s: 17
Richmond top 10s: 21
Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman has been fantastic this season. As of the Daytona 500, he’s been single digits in finishes with the exception of a 14th-place finish in Atlanta. And if you saw him push his way to the front at COTA, you know that he’s serious about his chances in 2023. He may not make it to Victory Lane, but you can trust the 48 to run solid at Richmond Raceway.
Richmond wins: 1
Richmond top 5s: 1
Richmond top 10s: 3
Chris Buescher
Every week I try to get a feel for one driver that no one else would really think about and stick him in my bold fantasy picks for a sleeper-slash-longshot. For Richmond Raceway, that driver is Chris Buescher. The driver of the No. 17 car came in fourth at the Daytona 500 and finished eighth last week at COTA. The last time NASCAR came to Richmond, he drove his way to a third-place finish. Do not be surprised to see him up there again.
Richmond wins: 0
Richmond top 5s: 1
Richmond top 10s: 1
Bonkers – Chances are slim that these drivers will benefit your NASCAR fantasy points this week
Erik Jones
It will happen eventually, but not here. Erik Jones needs a better record at a better track before I count him in for a win.
Richmond wins: 0
Richmond top 5s: 0
Richmond top 10s: 1
Ryan Blaney
Ryan Blaney cannot get it together this season. Which is, in a word, surprising. Give him a pass and let him figure things out before you start betting the bank on him.
Richmond wins: 0
Richmond top 5s: 0
Richmond top 10s: 3
Michael McDowell
Despite some impressive runs this season, Michael McDowell hasn’t quite been able to hold enough together for a great finish. His record in Richmond is very poor, so wait until he heads to a better track to think about sticking him on your NASCAR fantasy list.
Richmond wins: 0
Richmond top 5s: 0
Richmond top 10s: 0
